


Holes In The Sky

by Archangelsanonymous (Pattypixie)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Car Sex, Castiel Works at Gas-N-Sip, Episode: s09e06 Heaven Can't Wait, First Time, Human Castiel, Human Gabriel, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Jericho Reference, M/M, Masturbation in Shower, Minor Character Death, Mutual Pining, Sexual Roleplay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-11
Updated: 2016-03-13
Packaged: 2018-05-13 05:37:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5697031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pattypixie/pseuds/Archangelsanonymous
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel was finally getting the hang of this human thing, holding down a job and saving up money. He was still sleeping in his stolen car, but he was getting there. That was until Gabriel came into his store, ragged and in need of help. All of the feelings he had kept hidden for millenniums came flooding back and what else was he to do but take care of him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally supposed to be done for the 2015 Angelcest Big Bang, but I had to pull out due to some unexpected surgery. It's only taken a year for me to finally be able to share it, but I'm finally ready. Also, it was meant to be a one-shot, but I've decided to break it up a little.
> 
> All of the customers are based on actual real-life customers I dealt with during my year working at a gas station in Madison, WI. I wish I was kidding.

   “Have a great day!” Cas recited with the fake smile that had become nearly automatic. He closed the cash register with a sigh and pulled away once he heard the door ding, signaling that the now faceless customer had left. This really wasn’t too bad; being human, working in a gas station, selling cancer and imminent carbon emissions to the unsuspecting or simply uncaring people of the world.

Cas squirted a small bit of hand sanitizer onto his hands, and wrinkled his nose a bit at the alcoholic smell before rubbing them together. He had learned quickly that being human also came with being vulnerable to various infections. If he was going to be able to survive he had to stay healthy to work his job so he could get money to pay for food and his car -- honestly, being a human was becoming exceedingly stressful. Cas wiped the excess solution off on his store-issued vest and played with his name tag a bit. “Steve”. Yes, that’s what he was currently calling himself. “Steve Smith” had seemed like a more socially acceptable name than “Castiel Angelofthelord”. He could have used Jimmy’s name but, that could have easily flagged the authorities. Plus, thinking about Jimmy tended to make Cas sad, now that he was human. He had considered using “Winchester” as his last name, but it could have drawn attention and honestly, he didn’t feel much like a part of that family since Dean had kicked him out. It was probably better this way.

Cas was snapped quickly out of his thoughts once the register started to make noise, indicating that someone wished to start pumping gas in their car. He stole a quick look outside, mentally noted the car, and then turned the pump on. In a town like Rexford, stealing gas was almost unheard of, but there were the occasional drive-offs that forced the gas station to be wary about turning on the pumps. Thinking about it, it was sad that Castiel was actually paid to care about menial things like stolen fossil fuel that should be paid for with a meaningless social construct designed to give worth to slips of paper and chunks of metal. Yet, he had started to understand the construct and fall in line with it because he was expected to. It was what was expected to pass as human, and Cas did what he had to.

   Oh. Coffee. Cas remembered that it needed a refill and walked over to the island counter that housed several pots and machines, all designed for various levels of convenience. He grabbed the dispenser and took a deep breath. Making coffee was one thing that he had a hard time doing at first. There were so many steps and it was so easy to forget one...or all of them. Cas set the dispenser on the counter next to the large coffee maker. Okay. Step one, check to see if there is any coffee in the filter from befo--

   DING. Cas looked up when he heard the door open and sighed. “Welcome to Gas and Sip,” he said, walking back over behind the cash register, fake smile plastered on as usual. A woman walked over to the counter and wordlessly handed Cas a twenty dollar bill. He took the bill and they stared at each other for a moment, Cas smiling nervously.

   “Gas?” the woman sighed, impatiently.

   “Oh, yes, of course,” Cas nodded, tapping the screen of his register as the woman rolled her eyes. “Did you need anything else?”

   “No, that’s it,” she stated, still standing at the counter. Cas finished the transaction, placed the money in the till, and then closed the drawer.

   “Um...Have a nice day?” Cas offered after a few moments.

   “My receipt?” the woman scoffed.

   “Oh, apologies.” Cas pressed a button on the screen and a receipt came out. “It doesn’t automatically print one with cash so I--” The woman ripped the paper out of his hand and stormed out of the store, muttering something about incompetence. Cas sighed again as the door dinged, and he walked back over to the coffee island. He was slowly getting used to irritable and impolite customers, but it still bothered him. They were human. He was human. Why wasn’t he considered deserving of their respect when he gave them his so willingly?

    Right. Back to making coffee. Cas pulled out the filter catch on the machine to be sure that there wasn’t any leftover grounds from earlier. Nothing in there. Step two, place the filter in the catch. He placed the catch on the counter, grabbed a filter and placed it in. Step three, add coffee grounds. Cas bent down and pulled out a drawer on the island that held the different kinds of coffee they made. The one he was filling was hazelnut, his favorite. He grabbed a package and opened it, pouring it into the filter as he contemplated how odd it was for him to have favorite things now. Favorite flavors, favorite scents. It was all odd and foreign to Cas before losing his grace, and now it seemed so familiar and natural.

   DING. Cas didn’t look up this time and simply recited the greeting to whomever happened to had come through the door this time. He emptied the package into the filter then set the empty wrapper to the side as he began step four, place the catch back on the--

   “Castiel...”

   Cas almost dropped the catch as he quickly turned to see who was calling him by his real name. In front of him stood a dirty, disheveled man who looked nothing like he did the last time Cas had laid eyes on him. Cas set the catch back on the counter and rushed forward to support the man, whom looked like he was about to fall over. Golden eyes took one last look at him before they closed and the man collapsed in Cas’s arms. There were a million questions running through Cas’s mind ranging from how the angel had found him to what he was supposed to do with an unconscious body when he still had three more hours left in his shift. Dean would probably know what to do. He pulled the angel behind the register and laid him down at his feet. At least there, no one would really see him. Cas left him on the floor, locked the doors quickly, and grabbed a water bottle from the cooler. When he came back, he opened the bottle and knelt down, pressing the opening to the man’s lips.

   “Gabriel?” Cas finally mustered the ability to say the archangel’s name, even though he couldn’t believe he was actually here. Gabriel stirred a little and Cas tipped the bottle slightly so it could trickle into the angel’s mouth. After a moment, Gabriel grabbed the bottle from Cas and drank it himself, downing the entire bottle. He sat up, panting a little, and raised an eyebrow at Cas.

  “You work in a fill-up station?” Gabriel breathed, a confused look on his face.

  Cas rolled his eyes and sighed. He seemed to do a lot of sighing as a human. “Yes, Gabriel. I’m human now. I need to make money so I can survive,” Cas explained, his eyes scanning the archangel’s unkempt appearance. “Are you still...”

  “Barely,” Gabriel admitted. “Meta-dick captured me and used the tablet to absorb my grace and juice up. Apparently you can do that to archangels. Learn something new every day.” He tried to stand up but struggled with it and stayed sitting. “I retained some of my pagan mojo, which is how I was able to escape and find you. Downside is, it only gives me powers equivalent to that of a garden witch. Also, fun fact, it turns out that candy is not a good source of sustenance.”

  Cas smiled slightly. Of course, Gabriel would try to survive off of sugar. “Well, I’ll avoid asking more questions until you’re properly nourished. Do you like nachos?” He asked, standing up. Gabriel grinned and nodded, causing Cas to chuckle a little. He walked over to the food counter, under a sign stating “hot food” and opened up a package of nachos sealed in a plastic bag. For a moment, he was worried about putting too much cheese on them, but then realized it was Gabriel he was getting them for and piled on more that he would normally. When Cas was done, he walked back over to the cooler and grabbed a sports drink. Gabriel would need the electrolytes. He debated the merits of red vs blue, then decided on red. On his way back to the register counter, he stopped in the candy aisle and grabbed a snickers bar.

  “Here,” Cas knelt back down with the food and handed it to Gabriel. He took it enthusiastically and started in on the nachos right away, only stopping to take a swig of the sports drink after every couple chips. Cas smiled as he watched Gabriel eat, happy that he could provide for someone else for once.

  “Cashie,” Gabriel mumbled, his mouth full. “’oo coul’ be the nex’ ‘heesus.” He made the sign of the cross on front of him and Cas laughed a little.

  “Let’s not get carried away,” Cas replied, standing back up. “Now, you can stay down there for now, but I have to open the store back up. I have three more hours, then we can go get you cleaned up and get some better food, alright?” Gabriel nodded and Cas walked over to the doors to unlock them. As he did, he calculated the expenses in his head. Cas was hoping to save up enough to stay in a hotel for a couple nights instead of continuing to sleep in the car he had stolen, but Gabriel was more important. He could have information that he or the Winchesters needed, and the only way to do that was to nurse him back to health. Cas snuck a glance at the former archangel before he rounded the counter. Gabriel was leaning back against the safe--nacho tray discarded on the floor--savoring the snickers bar that Cas had bought him. Cas observed that he probably hadn’t really eaten anything in a week, sugar or otherwise. What had their existence come to? Overnight, they had gone from being the most powerful, independent, constant beings in the universe to simple, carbon-based, meat sacks that needed a plethora of things to survive for a few decades. He could see why Lucifer and other angels questioned the existence of them.

  Cas shook his head to clear the thoughts from his mind. It was too much and he was actually starting to develop a headache. He had noticed that contemplating large thoughts that came easily to him as an angel made his head physically hurt as a human. It was actually very humbling albeit annoying. He continued to work for the rest of his shift, Gabriel drifting in and out of sleep at his feet. Luckily, Cas had done most of his chores already, so he could keep a steady eye on the fallen angel. A couple minutes before he was ready to go, Cas got Gabriel up and had him wander around the store a while, to not upset his manager.

  “Good afternoon, Nora,” Cas greeted, smiling as his boss walked through the door.

  “Hey, Steve,” Nora smiled back at him as she removed her coat and hung it on the rack behind the counter. She walked over to Cas as she was adjusting her vest and leaned in a little. “Is that guy okay?” It was obvious she was looking at Gabriel, who was in the candy aisle, picking up chocolate bars and sniffing them individually.

  “I’ll escort him out as I leave,” Cas offered, turning to go. “Did you need anything else?”

  “I don’t think so,” She said, sighing. “You’ve already done everything! How can I ask for more?” Nora giggled a little. “You have a good night, Steve.”

  “You as well,” Cas nodded at her as he rounded the counter. He went up to Gabriel, put back the candy bar that was in his hand, and unceremoniously pushed him out of the store toward his waiting car.

  “Pushy much?” Gabriel rolled his shoulders, as if he was unruffling his wings, even though they were gone.

  “You look like you’re homeless, Gabriel, and that isn’t an accepted social convention in human society,” Cas hissed over the Lincoln Continental. “Get in. You need some new clothes.”

  Gabriel looked down at himself and shrugged, opening up the passenger door and getting in. He took a look in the back and saw a stack of folded clothes on one side of the bench seat, along with a blanket and pillow on the other side of the seat. There was a small box in the middle containing toiletries like a toothbrush, shampoo, a razor, and shaving cream. Gabriel turned back to Cas, who was trying to start the car through his amateur hotwiring job.

  “Do you live in here, little sparrow?” Gabriel asked softly as the engine finally turned over.

  “Yes, I was, uh…” Cas felt a shiver down his spine at Gabriel’s old nickname for him and averted his gaze as he took the car out of park, starting to drive. “I was saving up for a motel room, but that doesn’t matter now.” He shot a quick smile at Gabriel before concentrating on the road again.

  The former archangel looked down at his hands and stared at the dirt-encrusted nails and the cuts that weren’t healing nearly as quickly as they should. Some hair fell in his face and he reached up to feel it, gritty with dirt, but slick with oil that made the strands stick together. Cas was right. Gabriel was a mess. He looked back over to his brother and sighed. It was wrong to be burdening Castiel like this. He was the older brother, the higher ranking angel. He should be taking care of Cas like he always had, not the other way around. Gabriel balled his fists and clenched them tight.

  “You don’t have to do this for me,” Gabriel blurted out. “You earned that money for yourself, and honestly, I need to learn how to live by myself. I mean, I should be able to know how to live, right? I lived with humans for centuries after I left heaven.” He buried his face in his hands. “How did I end up like this? I should know how to survive. I should--”

  Castiel reached over and grabbed Gabriel’s hand and held it tightly. “Gabriel, please,” Cas begged, intertwining their fingers. “I want to help you. Let me help you.” A warm shiver passed up their arms and through both of them, each unaware the other felt it as well. This emotion was new, entirely human, and neither could decide whether they wanted more or less. They each reached the conclusion that it was coming from their hands and quickly separated, acting as if nothing happened. They rode in silence until they reached a thrift store, where Gabriel could get some new clothes.

   “Alright,” Castiel turned off the car, then dug in his pocket for some cash. “We need to save a little money for food, but I think there will be enough to get you a couple pairs of pants, a few shirts, and a new jacket.” Cas took a glance in the backseat. “We should probably get you your own blanket, too.” Gabriel nodded and followed Cas as he got out of the car. “We can shower tonight at a public building. It’s called the Y.M.C.A.” Cas continued as they walked to the entrance of the store.

  “Hey! Like the song!” Gabriel grinned and started doing the arm gestures. “Y...M, C, A, dah dadah dadah dah…” Cas had no idea what he was singing but smiled at how happy he seemed to be doing it. He had always thought Gabriel was beautiful when he was happy, especially in his true form. His grace would glow a warm golden and his wings would fan out as he laughed, intimidating but welcoming at the same time. The thought made Castiel miss heaven.

  The door dinged when they opened it, not unlike the sound at the gas station. They headed straight towards the clothing racks and Gabriel immediately started rifling through them.

  “M? L?” Gabriel flicked the plastic tags that protruded from the racks, indicating size. “Does Rome even use that number system anymore?”

  “The letters stand for words,” Cas explained. “S is for small, M for medium, and L for large.” He walked behind Gabriel and checked the back of his shirt for a tag that might indicate his size. “Why doesn’t your shirt have a tag?” Cas asked, after searching for it but coming up empty.

  “I just kinda magicked these on,” Gabriel shrugged. “Saw someone with clothes I liked and I copied them.”

  “Did you do anything yourself?” Cas sighed, running a hand through his hair.

  “Well, I was an archangel. I didn’t need to,” Gabriel huffed and went back to sifting through the rack of shirts.

  “You’ll just have to try on different sizes until we figure it out,” Cas said. “I’ll go get some pants for you to try on.” He walked over to the jeans and mused over what size Gabriel might be. Cas knew his own size, through much trial and error, but Gabriel was shorter. To be honest, Cas still had no idea what the numbers meant, so he guessed, grabbing smaller sizes of both the first and the second number plus a couple of his own numbers, just in case. In all he had grabbed 6 pairs before he was satisfied, then walked back over to Gabriel, who seemed to have his arms full of different shirts, including some with very questionable patterns.

  “I grabbed some S, M, and L, just in case,” Gabriel explained, looking up at Cas like a child seeking approval. Cas smiled and nodded, then led him to the dressing rooms.

  “I’ll hold your extra clothing out here so that it isn’t so crowded,” Cas put the jeans he had in the room for Gabriel and grabbed the shirts out of his arms. “The jeans are the hardest part, so try that first.” Gabriel nodded and went into the room, locking it behind him. While the former archangel shuffled around in the room, Cas went through the pile of shirts that Gabriel had, tossing ones with odd patterns or graphics to the side. He didn’t put them back, simply because he knew Gabriel would want one or two of them.

  “How do I know if they fit?” Gabriel shouted.

  “They, um…” Cas wasn’t really sure how to explain how things were supposed to fit. They just felt right. “They’re supposed to feel comfortable. Nothing is supposed to hurt or be falling off.”

  “So, not these then…” Gabriel mumbled, shimmying out of the jeans he had tried. Cas saw them pool on the floor under the door and blushed a little, embarrassed that he was thinking about what Gabriel looked like on the other side of the door. Why was he thinking about that? Gabriel couldn’t look much different from Cas, but for some reason, it was something he really wanted to see. The thought made his mouth dry and his pants uncomfortable. He remembered the feeling from somewhere, but couldn't quite place it.

  After a few more minutes, Gabriel stepped out in a pair of jeans that fit him almost perfectly and just the tee shirt he had been wearing under his jacket. He raised an eyebrow and Cas nodded, smiling. Cas handed him the stack of shirts he had sorted through and Gabriel sighed.

  “Trying on this stuff is so exhausting,” Gabriel whined before turning around and walking back in the dressing room. After a couple minutes, Cas heard swearing and flailing coming from inside the room.

  “Gabriel?” Cas asked, standing up and walking toward the door. “Are you alright?”

  “Yeah, I just…” A couple more grunts and shuffle sounds came from inside and then a big sigh. “I need some help.” Cas heard the door unlock and he stepped inside. He had to cover his hand with his mouth to stifle a laugh when he saw Gabriel. The older angel was stuck in a much too small maroon button-up, his arms stuck in an odd position behind his back. Gabriel frowned at Cas and turned around. “Just shut up and help me,” he mumbled. Cas grabbed the collar of the shirt and pulled, letting his eyes trace Gabriel’s back as he took it off. Six, five-inch scars were prominent on his back, three on each side of his spine, and Cas couldn’t help but run his fingers across them. Gabriel winced and pulled away, turning back around quickly and grabbing another shirt off the pile.

  “What happened?” Cas asked, letting his hand fall to his side.

  “It’s nothing,” Gabriel muttered, shrugging on the shirt he had picked up.

  Cas grabbed Gabriel’s wrist and forced the archangel to look at him. “Please. Tell me.”

  Gabriel looked up into Castiel’s eyes. They were still the perfect shade of blue that Gabriel had begged his father to make the color of the oceans because he loved it so much. Eyes that he couldn't lie to. “Metatron,” he said softly, looking down to button his shirt. “It was how he kept me imprisoned. He, um...He cut off my wings.”

  “Gabriel, I…”

  “Don’t apologize,” Gabriel said, still avoiding Cas’s gaze. “It happened. I escaped. I’m over it.” He reached over and unlocked the door. “Thanks for the help. I’ll be out in a jif.” Cas walked out the door and went back to where he was sitting. Metatron had cut Gabriel’s wings? He could hardly wrap his mind around it. Gabriel was an archangel, and Metatron had been just a simple seraph. He probably would have been a cherub, had God not chosen him to write the Word. Now he was powerful enough to cut the wings of archangels? The thought made Cas sick. It was, of course, at that moment that his stomach chose to rumble and he rubbed it a little. Hunger was still an odd function to him, as most human sensations were. He had a hope that Gabriel was feeling hungry as well when the dressing room door opened.

  Gabriel stepped out wearing the jeans from before and a green plaid button up with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. His face and hair were still dirty, but he already looked much better than before. Cas was reminded of that fact by the sudden lightness in his chest that he hadn't experienced since...April. Cas suddenly blushed and looked away at the thought. He knew enough about human culture to know that being attracted to another person of the same sex wasn't considered normal. This changed everything.

  "You okay, Cassie?" Gabriel asked, putting his hands in his pockets. "What do you think?"

  "It looks good," Cas replied, only taking a quick glance before going to the other pile of shirts he had made. "Did you want any of these?"

  Gabriel walked over and stood next to Cas, checking out the shirts in the pile. "Hmm...just this one," he reached down and grabbed an extra-large shirt that was covered in a pattern of different kinds of candy bars. He held it up to himself and grinned.

  "That is much too large for you," Cas commented, unable to suppress a small smile. "Just promise you won't wear it outside."

  "I'll wear it just for you, then," Gabriel decided, folding the shirt up and putting it with the pile of good clothes he had made in the fitting room. He picked up the entire pile and brought it out, resting his chin on it. Cas led him to the counter and paid for the clothing along with a grey comforter that he had found. The cashier bagged up the clothing and handed it back to Gabriel who clutched them to his chest possessively.

   “It’s really nice of you doing that for him,” the cashier said once Gabriel had walked off toward the door. “More people should be as generous as you. God knows people in his situation need it.”

   Cas was a little confused then realized he was talking about the fact that Gabriel still looked like a vagrant. “Oh well, he’s my…” He looked over at Gabriel and smiled a bit. “He’s my friend. Thank you.” Cas grabbed the blanket and put an arm around Gabriel’s shoulders as they took their spoils out to the car.

  Gabriel sat in the passenger seat and looked around in the car once more. "Sparrow," he inquired. "How are we both going to sleep in here?"

  "Easily," Cas smiled, glad to have a clever answer finally. He reached down on the side of the seat, pulled a small lever, and leaned back causing the seat to go down almost completely horizontal. "Your seat does the same."

  Gabriel reached down and pulled the lever as well, but leaned forward instead, causing the seat to almost bend him in two. Cas couldn't help but laugh as he coached the archangel to lean back. Gabriel finally got it and leaned back so that he was level with Cas. He turned his head and smiled, glad to see Cas laughing. It was something he hadn't seen since he ran away, and it was the one thing he had missed terribly. After Cas had regained his composure, he leaned the seat back up and sighed.

  "Shall we go get you cleaned up?" Cas asked, starting up the car. Gabriel nodded and brought his seat back up as well.

  They drove over to the Y.M.C.A center and Cas explained to him how to shower and wash up. Gabriel had originally asked Cas to join him in the shower to help him, but the seraph blushed profusely and shook his head, so he made due with shouting questions over the water.

   Gabriel ran his hands down his sides, reveling in the slick, cleansing feel of the water on his skin. He was interested with the reactions his body was having, especially when he thought about Cas. Gabriel wasn't completely ignorant about the workings of human reproduction, having participated in the act himself many times before. It had always been for the sake of keeping up appearances though, so he had never really felt sexual attraction before. Gabriel ran his hand up his neck and into his hair, closing his eyes and immediately wishing it was Cas’s hand instead of his own. His other hand trailed down between his legs, experimentally wrapping his hand around the half hard member, and gasping a little at the sensation that went through him. No wonder humans loved the carnal act so much. Gabriel leaned back against the cold tile and let instinct take over, stroking himself slowly. His mind filled with thoughts of Cas in the stall next to him, praying he was in the same position, thinking and doing the same things. A moan almost escaped from Gabriel’s mouth, but he brought his free hand up to quickly muffle it. As appealing as the thought of Cas hearing him was, he didn't want to reveal himself quite yet. Not when he was just discovering whatever this amazing feeling was. Gabriel bucked up into his hand, moving faster now that he prohibited himself from making a sound. He wanted to moan and sigh. He wanted to scream Castiel's name so loud, they would be able to hear it in heaven. The fact that he couldn’t speak seemed to just make him more aroused. A pressure started to build in his abdomen and he was overcome with the urge to stroke faster, building towards...something. In a moment he was biting his hand, trying his best not to moan around it as release came. Gabriel stroked himself more, chasing the feeling until it became too much and he sank to the shower floor, panting. He brought the hand that was covered in some kind of creamy substance up to his face to examine it. In rituals as Loki, he had seen it come out of other human males, but had never quite experienced it himself. Gabriel sniffed it and wrinkled his nose at the smell.

  “Gabriel?” Cas’s voice pulled him out of his post-orgasmic state, and he scrambled to stand up. “Are you alright?”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Gabriel washed the viscous liquid off of himself quickly and rinsed his hair once more. “Be out in a sec.” He turned off the water and grabbed the towel that Cas had thrown over the bar that the curtain was hanging on. Gabriel wrapped the towel around his waist and stepped out, seeing that Cas was fully clothed already. The seraph stared for a moment, then blushed and looked away.

  “I’ll let you get dressed,” Cas said, bowing his head quickly and turning to walk out into the locker room. He was having increasing trouble keeping his composure around Gabriel since his discovery. It could be okay, right? Even though it wasn’t necessarily conventional, homosexuality was still a natural thing. As he thought about it more, he realized that Gabriel technically didn’t have a sex, and neither did he. Beings of celestial intent generally didn’t get assigned a gender. Their vessels just happened to both be male, and it wasn’t like either planned to become human. Cas’s realization of the situation calmed him for a moment before another fear passed through him. What if Gabriel didn’t feel the same way? He had been so concerned about the implications that he hadn’t stopped to consider if Gabriel even had the same thoughts as him. How could he have been so stupid?

  “So, food?” Gabriel stepped into the locker room, wearing a grin and the same clothes he had walked out of the thrift store with. He looked like a whole different person now that he was clean. The color was back in his cheeks and, even wet, his hair shone a bright gold instead of the dingy brown it had been. A couple strands fell into his face and he shook his head to get them back in place while he stuck his hands in his jean pockets. If Cas didn’t know any better, he would have thought that Gabriel’s grace had returned from the way he was glowing. He’d never seen anything more beautiful.

  “Ye--” Cas squeaked out before clearing his throat a little. “Yeah. I’m hungry, too.” He smiled and lead Gabriel out of the center and back to their car.

  They ate at a Taco Bell, since Cas had quickly learned that it was where he could get the most amount of food for the least amount of money. Gabriel indulged on a beef burrito and a chicken quesadilla while Cas settled for a few tacos and some cinnamon twists (which Gabriel stole half of). It was dark when they were finished and the temperature had dropped significantly while they had been eating. Gabriel practically ran back to the car and grabbed his blanket, cocooning himself in the passenger seat as Cas frantically tried to get the heat to turn on faster. He drove them to an abandoned parking lot he had taken to parking in at night to sleep. Cas turned off the lights but let the car run so that the cab would heat up as much as possible before he was forced to turn it off to conserve gas. It had been getting colder over the past month and it was getting harder to sleep in the car, even with his blanket and clothes covering him. Gabriel started to uncover himself as the heat soaked through to him, and he laid the seat back. Cas did the same and let out a yawn as he grabbed his own blanket from the backseat.

  “What was heaven like after I left?” Gabriel blurted out, turning his body to face Cas. The seraph was taken aback by the question and paused in the middle of covering himself up with his blanket.

  “What do you mean?” Cas asked, tucking the blanket around him before turning to face Gabriel.

  “When I left…” Gabriel sighed. “Everything seemed like a mess when I dipped out. The entire place was in chaos after Dad had left and I knew I couldn’t handle it. Not like Michael could.”

  “You leaving was almost worse than Lucifer being cast down,” Cas admitted. “Michael hardened almost completely, dividing the host into garrisons. Seraphim were assigned positions in his army, while Raphael was put in control of the cherubim. After that, there was nothing but training. We thought about nothing else except preparing for the coming apocalypse. Nothing else seemed to matter.” Cas sighed. “I know that it was all I thought about. Everything else hurt too much.” He shifted in his seat a little, trying to get comfortable. “I have to admit, when I found out that when I was the one that had been chosen to raise the righteous man, I thought about you. The mission included spending a significant amount of time on earth and I had hoped that earth was where you had disappeared to.” A feeling began to swell in Cas’s chest as he thought about that initial excitement. He hid it very well from his superiors, but the hope that he would get to see Gabriel again was always there. “I suppose I hadn’t expected our first meeting after so long to go as it did.”

  Gabriel chuckled a little at that. “Yeah, sorry,” He rubbed against the headrest and smiled. “Those Winchesters really get on my nerves.”

  “They aren’t as bad as they seem,” Cas lied. Even though Sam and Dean were his best friends, their personalities sometimes left something to be desired.

  “So, you were okay though, Little Sparrow? In heaven?” Gabriel asked, reaching a hand out to grab Cas’s arm. The sudden touch ripped through Cas and he almost pulled away.

  “I…” Cas didn’t have the heart to tell him the full truth. “I adapted.” He was quickly reminded of the pain that Gabriel had caused him when he left. Castiel had barely outgrown his fledgling stage. Gabriel was the one who had raised him, taught him about the earth, and taught him how to fly. It was like part of his grace was ripped out when the archangel left. Any compassion and love that Gabriel had taught him was beaten out or suppressed so deeply that it took coming to earth to realize it was even there anymore. “We should get some sleep.” Cas shrugged Gabriel’s hand off of his arm and turned over in his seat so that he was facing the door. Gabriel took the hint and turned over, clutching the blanket close to him. He didn’t even have a chance to think about what Cas had said before sleep overtook him.


	2. Chapter 2

   Gabriel woke up to light hitting his face. His eyes slowly opened to adjust to the intrusive sunlight. The windows in the car were fogged over and Gabriel reached a hand up out of his blanket to draw a little penis and balls in the fog with his index finger. He giggled to himself at the drawing and turned so that Cas could see his work of art. Cas was curled up into a ball in his seat, shivering, and no blanket to be found. Gabriel looked down and noticed that Cas’s blanket was on him. He quickly shed it and wrapped it around Cas before pulling him into the passenger seat. The seraph only flailed a moment before realizing he was too cold to protest. Gabriel wrapped as much as himself as he could around Cas and held him close, rubbing his arms to warm him up.

   Cas’s muscles started to relax as the warmth from Gabriel seeped into him. He pushed back into the archangel, craving the heat that was provided. Gabriel had always been so warm. He hummed as Gabriel buried his face into Cas’s neck, blowing warm air over the skin.

   “Why was your blanket on me?” Gabriel asked softly, tightening his grip.

   “You were shivering,” Cas explained, his teeth still chattering a little.

   “Well, so are you, dumbass,” Gabriel huffed, rubbing his nose in Cas’s hair. “Don’t do that ever again. I don’t want to wake up to you frozen over.”

   “We can’t afford more blankets or gas,” Cas confessed.

   “We’ll just have to sleep like this,” Gabriel offered.

   The thought peaked Cas’s interest more than it probably should have. He loved the feeling of Gabriel pressed close against him, his breath and lips so close to Cas’s neck. It made something stir inside him and his hips instinctively pushed back into Gabriel. He felt something hard press against his behind and Gabriel moved his hips away quickly.

   “Heh, sorry, kiddo,” Gabriel shifted a bit and chuckled. “That always happens when I wake up. Weird human thing, I guess.” Cas was confused at what he meant at first, then realized the tightness in his own pants. OH. He moved his hips forward, embarrassed at his action. It made him want to go back to his own seat but he was still too cold and Gabriel didn’t seem like he was letting go anytime soon. Cas took a glance at the clock and noticed it was about an hour before he was scheduled to be at work.

   “Gabriel, I have to go to work today,” he sighed. “If you want, you can stay in the car or...walk around the town or something…”

   “Can you get me a job?” Gabriel asked. “At your gas station. You seemed really busy and I bet you could use the help. Plus, after last night, I think I want that hotel room as much as you do.” It wasn’t a bad idea. With two paychecks coming in, they could easily have a hotel room when they got paid. It would also keep Gabriel out of the trouble he was bound to get into.

   “I can try. Come in with me today and we can talk to Nora,” Cas turned his head to look at Gabriel, forgetting for a moment how close they were. Before Gabriel could move away, their lips brushed for a second, and both sets of eyes widened. Cas quickly scrambled away from Gabriel and into his own seat, instantly regretting the decision to move away from his heat source. He regained as much composure as he could and started up the car.

   “We, uh, we can get breakfast at the station,” Cas said to the steering wheel. He drove off as Gabriel untangled himself from the blankets and threw them in the backseat. Cas licked his lips, trying to get the tingling feeling off of them, but in a way he didn’t want it to go. He wanted more.

 

   An hour later, Gabriel was standing next to Cas in a matching vest, their bellies full of over-roasted coffee and microwaved burritos. He looked down at his name tag, the newly printed label reading "Bill", and frowned at it.

   "Alright! The store is yours, Steve," Nora said, rushing to get her coat on. "I'll be back to close." She was almost out the door when she looked back and gave Gabriel a smile. "Welcome to the team, Bill!"

    "Bill? Really?" Gabriel narrowed his eyes at Cas once Nora had left.

    Cas shrugged. "Gabriel isn't a common name, and we have to remain inconspicuous," he explained.

    "Yeah, but BILL?" Gabriel scoffed. "That’s a cop name." He chuckled a little. "Bill and Steve. Protecting your local Gas 'n Sip from candy and soda thieves since 2013."

    "Well, actually we aren't allowed to do anything if someone tries to steal," Cas commented, putting his cash tray in the register.

    "Just let them go?" Gabriel’s jaw dropped.

    "Nora said so," Cas shrugged and motioned for Gabriel to join him. "Now, please come here. I’m supposed to be training you. Working this machine is surprisingly simple."

    Gabriel mumbled something about justice and how they “better thank dad he didn’t have his grace” as he walked over to learn the register. Cas was right about it being simple and even had Gabriel take a few customers while he restocked the slushie machine. Everything seemed to be going surprisingly well, and looking back, Cas probably should have taken that as a hint.

    “Ex _CUSE_ me?”

    Cas turned around quickly to see a young woman bent over the counter, yelling at Gabriel.

    “It’s just our policy, _Ma’am_ ,” Gabriel replied, spitting out the last word. “I need to see your ID before I can sell you cigarettes.”

    “Do I look like I’m under eighteen?” The woman asked, pushing up her chest and shaking her breasts in front of Gabriel.

    “Ma’am,” the archangel sighed. “You may not look under eighteen, but you most definitely look under forty and our policy says I have to card you.” He gave her his favorite hate-smile. “Take it as a compliment.”

    “Is there a problem?” Cas asked, sliding up behind Gabriel.

    “Steve!” the woman’s face lit up. “This new guy won’t sell me cigarettes. You know me. Just tell him I’m cool.”

    “I’m sorry,” Cas shrugged. “It’s policy.”

    “Fine,” the woman huffed, snatching her purse off the counter. “I’ll take my business someplace that won’t treat me like a child!” She stormed out the door and took off in her car, tires squealing as she pulled away.

    “What a bitch,” Gabriel commented, putting the cigarette pack away.

    “It’s not nice to say that about our customers,” Cas replied, going back to the slushie machine.

    “Yeah, well, if it looks like a duck,” Gabriel sighed and leaned on the counter, holding his head up with one arm and looking at Cas.

    “She didn’t look like a duck at all,” Cas corrected, confused at the phrase.

    Gabriel chuckled a little. “Oh, Little Sparrow,” he smiled. “You keep me young.” Cas wasn’t really sure what he meant, but grinned anyway.

 

    The rest of the day went by relatively smoothly with Cas only needing to interfere once more when Gabriel got upset with the EBT machine and almost beat it with a stapler. Once Nora got there to close, the store was spotless, and she thanked them gratuitously before they left. Once in the car, they both practically collapsed, Gabriel more so than Cas.

    “How do you do that?” Gabriel asked, kicking off his shoes.

    “What?” Cas leaned over to start up the car so the heat would kick on.

    “Stand all day until your feet are sore and still have to take all that crap from stupid humans,” Gabriel clarified, leaning the seat back.

    “In case you’ve forgotten, we’re both human as well,” the angel reminded him.

   “Yeah, but we are like...human 2.0,” Gabriel waved his hand in the air. “New, shiny, and…” He thought about it a minute, then put his hand down and sighed. “In no possible way better. We might be worse.” Gabriel’s eyes widened. “We were the first drafts.”

   “I don’t think that’s true,” Cas said, eyes still on the road as he drove. “God may have made us first, but I don’t think he made us as a test.”

   “Oh?” Gabriel put his seat back up. “Enlighten me, Descartes.”

   “He made us as guardians.” Cas took a turn a little sharp and Gabriel grabbed the handle above his head. “We weren’t meant to be better than humans because we were meant to love and serve them.”

   “Serve them?” Gabriel scoffed. “Now I understand why you took this job, _Steve_.”

   “That’s not what I meant, Gabriel,” Cas sighed and pulled into the parking lot they stayed in the night before. “I mean, answer their prayers and love them like they love God.” He turned off the car and sat back. “Love them like they should love each other.”

   Gabriel looked over and saw the disappointment in Cas’s eyes. “It bothers you, doesn’t it?”

   “What?”

   “That they fight wars in Dad’s name,” Gabriel said softly. “That the ones who hate the most are the ones who consider themselves most worthy of our love. That they want miracles for nothing and forget about us once their prayers are answered.”

   Cas nodded. “How are we to love them when all they do is destroy?” he whispered.

   “Castiel,” Gabriel grabbed his hand. “I went through exactly what you did when I left.” He ran his thumb over the seraph’s knuckles and took a breath. “I didn’t understand and, I think with something as simple as a nudge in the wrong direction, I would have joined Lucifer.” Cas’s eyes widened and Gabriel squeezed his hand. “But I didn’t! Instead, I found the good in humanity. Yeah, there are a lot of shitpots and bad apples, but there are so many humans that are good and understand what Dad meant for them, even if they don’t know it. Oddly enough, I’m okay with being the first draft, and you should be, too. We can’t help that we broke the mold.” Cas smiled and Gabriel grinned.

    “You know, Gabriel, I think we are better humans,” Cas mused.

    “I think you’re right,” Gabriel agreed, reluctantly letting go of Cas’s hand and closing his eyes. "I am crazy tired. You okay with just going to sleep?"

   Cas nodded and looked in the backseat. "I think there is more room back there," he said.

   "Going with my idea of staying warm?" Gabriel asked, attempting to suppress a smile.

   "It's the most logical and efficient," Cas stated, hiding his blush as he got out of the car. He opened the backseat door, took out their excess supplies and clothes, and then put them in the trunk. By the time he was done, Gabriel was sitting in the backseat, their blankets on his lap.

   "So, big spoon or little spoon?" Gabriel smirked as Cas sat down and closed the door.

   "The position we were this morning was very comfortable," Cas replied, his eyes widening as Gabriel started to take his pants off. "What are you doing?"

   "It may be cold now," Gabriel grunted a little as he lifted his hips up to pull his jeans down, "but with the body heat and the blankets, it will get hot pretty fast, and I want to be comfortable." He pushed them down past his ankles and sat up, smiling.

   Cas looked down at his own jeans and curled his fingers against the fabric. Gabriel was probably right, and he didn't want to be too warm either. He grabbed one of the blankets and put it over himself as he took off his jeans. Gabriel chuckled a little and moved to tuck his legs behind Cas on the seat. Once Cas was done, he laid down in front of Gabriel, heart beating a little quicker than before. He kept his hips toward the edge of the seat, worried about repeating what happened earlier.

   Gabriel tucked the blankets in around their feet then wrapped an arm around Cas's waist, pulling him closer. He closed his eyes, and brushed his nose against the back of Cas’s neck and up into his hairline. The hair tickled on his face but he breathed in, craving the scent of the angel in his arms. He had missed Castiel so much. Ever since he had left heaven, there had been something missing from himself, and now that he was back with the angel, he felt whole again.

   Cas felt a jump in his chest as Gabriel forced him backwards. Did he want a repeat of that morning? He closed his eyes, finding it oddly calming as Gabriel buried his face in his neck. His skin tingled wherever Gabriel was touching him, and he instinctively wanted more. Was that too much? Did Gabriel want the same? The archangel had always liked touching and even reaching out his grace to other angels in heaven but that didn't necessarily mean that he--

   "Shhh..." Gabriel's breath rushed over Cas’s ear and he felt the sensation down to his fingertips. "You think too loud."

    “But, we’re human. You can’t hear my—“

    “It’s a figure of speech, Sparrow,” Gabriel placed a soft kiss to the back of Cas’s neck and the sensation travelled all the way down to the base of his spine. “Just relax and go to sleep.” Cas tried to calm his mind, but everything seemed oversensitive. He catalogued every place where Gabriel’s body was pressed up against his and shifted a little, craving more. Gabriel’s hand spread a little wider on Cas’s stomach and he held his breath, feeling goosebumps prick his skin.

    “Cas…”

    Cas turned around quickly to face Gabriel, his eyes wide in surprise. The archangel’s eyes were almost completely dilated and his mouth was parted slightly, breathing softly. Cas’s mind begged him to consider what he was doing, but a soft nudge of Gabriel’s hand on his back and he knew exactly what he wanted.

   Their lips met in the middle as they each pulled the other closer. Cas clawed desperately at the front of Gabriel’s shirt, bunching it in his hands possessively. Gabriel's hand slid down Cas's spine as they kissed, coming to rest on his lower back. Cas pulled away after a minute, panting softly.

   "Gabriel, I--"

   "I know," Gabriel rushed forward and captured Cas’s lips once again, and the angel let out a soft moan. He rocked his hips against Gabriel’s, letting instinct take over.

   Gabriel held Cas in place by his back, grinding up against him while he let out soft noises against his lips. Everything about Cas was soft, from the skin of his back and lips, to the moans and gyrations he was making. Gabriel moved to kiss down Cas’s jaw and neck, sucking a bruise behind his ear, feeling the urge to mark him. Cas had always belonged to Gabriel, and he to Cas.

   The sensations were at first overwhelming, even more intense than when Cas had been with April. Being with Gabriel felt natural and right, and Cas wanted to give him everything he could offer. Cas trailed one hand down Gabriel’s side, dipping his fingertips into the waistband of his boxers, tracing his hipbones. He heard Gabriel gasp close to his ear and took it as a hint to tug the waistband lower.

   Gabriel was surprised at Cas’s eagerness and moved his hand lower as well. He immediately realized he wanted Cas to feel what he had felt the day before in the shower. Gabriel moved his hand between them, pushing the front of Cas’s boxers down until his hard-on was exposed. He stroked Cas a little, reveling in the noises that he was producing. Cas quickly pulled Gabriel out of his boxers as well and they moved closer, craving each other’s touch. Gabriel wrapped his hand around both of their erections and repeated his actions from the day before, finding it felt even better with Cas joining him.

   “Cas…” Gabriel breathed, moving his mouth back to Cas’s lips, already addicted to the feeling. Cas’s mouth moved against his, echoing his moans and bucking his hips unto Gabriel’s hand.

   Cas held onto Gabriel like a lifeline as they kissed, clawing at his shoulders and tangling their legs together. It felt like a million things had finally fallen into place and he finally understood. He now knew why Gabriel had always paid too much attention to him. Why he had always looked up to Gabriel a bit too much. If God was somewhere out there, he must be grinning knowing that it only took his angels a few millennia and becoming human to realize what he had known from the start.

   “Gabriel, please,” Cas moaned, unsure of what he was begging for. He felt a pressure building in his abdomen, and moved his hips faster into Gabriel’s hand.

   “It’s okay, Cassie,” Gabriel panted, moving his hand quicker as he felt the familiar coiling in his belly from the day before. He used his other arm to throw the blankets off of them, knowing what kind of mess was coming next. As Gabriel scanned Cas’s lean, exposed body, he let go, ducking his head and calling out to him.

   Gabriel only had to keep going a few more seconds before Cas was coming as well, his body tight and not letting out more than a whimper as he climaxed. After a moment, Gabriel removed his hand and fanned out his fingers, cringing a little at the gooey mess.

   “Um…” He raised an eyebrow at Cas, who turned to the side a bit and grabbed a few napkins out of the pocket on the back of the passenger seat. Gabriel used them to wipe off, then looked at their shirts, which were covered in the white substance. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Cas pulling the covers back over them and huddling close, nuzzling his face into Gabriel’s neck. Suddenly, he didn’t care about their shirts and threw the used napkins into the front seat. They could clean up tomorrow. Gabriel instead wrapped his arms around Cas and settled into the seat, making himself comfortable.

   “Gabriel,” Cas whispered into the archangel’s chest.

   “Hmm?”

   “Why did you leave me?”

   The question was like a stab through the heart. No. He’d already experienced that and this was worse. Gabriel took a deep breath and held Cas tighter.

   “Sparrow, you have to know that leaving you was the last thing I wanted. You still had so much growing up to do and--”

   “Then why?” Cas pushed away slightly and looked into Gabriel’s eyes. Golden ones that he had fallen in love with before he even knew what love was. Vicious ones that wouldn’t even look at him before he left Heaven.

   “It wasn’t my choice,” Gabriel admitted. “The truth is, before I left, I had planned on taking you with me. I had everything ready for you and me to start off somewhere new. Somewhere that Michael and Raphael couldn’t find us.” He reached a hand up to stroke Cas’s cheek. “I wanted you with me more than anything. Before I left, Michael came to visit me. He said he knew that I was planning on leaving and bringing you with. I told him he couldn’t stop us and that we were leaving whether he liked it or not.” Gabriel moved his arm back to Cas’s waist and pulled him close again until their foreheads were touching. “We fought. He explained that you were the angel chosen to pull the righteous man out of hell, and I asked why they couldn’t find another seraph to do it. Michael said it was written, already prophesied, and I couldn’t do anything about it. If I left with you, he would cross galaxies and universes looking for us. We would be on the run forever and I knew I couldn’t put you through that. I told Michael I would stay, but he refused. He said if I stayed, he would be forced to cast me out for disobedience. He was showing me mercy by offering me a way out, but it couldn’t be with you.” Gabriel squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to stave off tears. “So, that’s why I left. That’s why I stayed on earth and waited for you because I knew you would come. Even if you couldn’t forgive me right away, it was enough just to see you, Little Sparrow.”

   Cas reached up and ran his fingers through Gabriel’s hair. “I forgive you,” He kissed Gabriel softly, tasting the wet, saltiness of his tears. “I forgive you for everything.” Gabriel pulled him close again and they kissed softly until sleep overtook them.

 

   Gabriel woke up first again, rubbing his face against the soft, black head of hair that was in front of him. It smelled like cheap shampoo and gas station food, but mostly it smelled like Cas. His special fledgling with the essence of a tropical storm, electric and salty and--Gabriel held him closer--completely his. Cas started to stir and make a couple sleepy sounds, rubbing his legs against Gabriel’s like a cat kneading. Gabriel kissed his forehead and Cas looked up, blue eyes lidded but smiling.

   “Good morning,” Gabriel greeted, smiling. “We have work today.” Cas nodded and yawned, curling up into Gabriel a little more.

   “I wish I could wrap myself up in your wings again,” Cas mumbled, sleepily. “They were so soft and beautiful, I--” Cas noticed Gabriel’s breathing hitch a bit and looked up quickly once he realized what he was saying. “Oh, Gabriel, I’m sorry...I wasn’t thinking--”

   “It’s okay,” Gabriel smiled weakly and reached out a hand to smooth Cas’s hair. “I wish I could wrap my wings around you, too. Guess you’ll just have to settle for these things.” He waved his arm a bit and Cas smiled. Gabriel leaned over and kissed Cas softly, ending the conversation.

   “We should get ready,” Cas announced, moving to pull the blankets off of them. He pulled away but their shirts stuck together, conjoined in places where their come had hardened. Gabriel laughed and tried to pull them apart, but it was proving difficult.

   “Maybe we should take these off together,” He suggested. With a little guidance by Gabriel, they pulled them off over their heads at the same time and tossed them to the side. The archangel scanned Cas’s torso, immediately wishing that they had more time and a less cramped place to be private. Cas smirked as he caught Gabriel looking, then leaned in and gave him another kiss.

   “We should be able to get a hotel room for at least a night after this week’s paycheck,” Cas whispered before pulling away. Gabriel raised an eyebrow and grinned, already thinking of the things they could do with an entire night. Cas bent down and grabbed his jeans, struggling with pulling them on a bit, due to the confining space. Once he was successful, he opened one of the doors, causing Gabriel to bring the blanket back up to his neck.

   “Just going to get us each a new shirt,” Cas explained, stepping out and closing the door behind him. While he was gone, Gabriel put his jeans back on and folded up the blankets as much as he could. Cas came back a few moments later with a shirt on and another in his hands. He handed it to Gabriel and closed the door again, choosing to get into the driver’s seat while Gabriel changed.

   “We should probably wash our clothes today,” Cas suggested, starting the car so that it warmed up.

   “Where do we do that?” Gabriel asked, climbing over the center console to the front passenger’s seat. “Is there a river or something nearby?”

   Cas chuckled a little, still finding it amusing that he knew more about human culture than his brother who had lived with them for thousands of years. “We have to go to a facility called the laundromat,” He said, pulling the car out of park and driving out of the lot. “You put your clothing into machines and put some money in and it cleans them. Then you take them out when the machine is done and put them in another machine which dries them.”

   “Humans rely far too much on machines,” Gabriel huffed. “And each one is more complicated than the last.”

   “Well, they never had grace to do everything for them,” Cas explained, “and we don’t either anymore, so we have to start relying on machines, too.”

   “That doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Gabriel sighed, pulling on his work vest. Cas pulled into the gas station lot and once the car stopped, Gabriel leaned over to give Cas a kiss, but was pushed away softly.

   “Gabriel, it’s…” Cas looked around for people, then back at the archangel’s confused expression. “I want to kiss you, I do, but we both have male vessels.”

   “So?” Gabriel leaned forward again but was pushed back.

   “In human society in America, it’s frowned upon if two humans of the same sex to show affection toward each other,” Cas sighed. “In some places in the world, we could even get arrested.”

   “What?” Gabriel’s jaw dropped. “Why? Like, I understand arresting some dude making out with his dog--Interspecies stuff always made even Dad cringe--but just because we have the same dangly bits, I can’t show that I care for you? When I hung out with Venus and Juno in Rome, dudes did it all the time!”

   “It’s just the way it is, Gabriel,” Cas opened his door and got out, shrugging on his vest. “Maybe in another part of the country it’s different, but we have to be careful here.”

   “Then let’s go somewhere else,” Gabriel suggested, as he closed the car door behind him.

   “Gabriel, we aren’t angels anymore. We can’t just--”

   “You have a car,” Gabriel reminded him. “We will have money at the end of the week. If it doesn’t seem like enough, we can wait another.”

   “Where would we go?” Cas held the gas station door open for Gabriel and then walked in himself.

   “Before all this apoca-shit happened, I overheard some muses talking about San Francisco,” Gabriel recalled, grabbing a couple burritos while Cas signed them in. “It’s some kind of American mecca for broke, enlightened, boy-kissing guys like us.” Gabriel smiled and grabbed a U.S. map and plopped it on the counter with the burritos. He opened it up and scanned it a little before firmly planting his finger on a city in northern California. “See. San Francisco. And we…” Gabriel scanned the map a little more. “Are here.” He moved his finger to a point on the east side of Idaho. “We aren’t even that far away!”

   Cas stared at the map a little as Gabriel looked at him with an excited expression. “Gabriel, I don’t…” Cas looked up and couldn’t help but feel his heart pull when he saw Gabriel’s smile fade a bit. He was right. It didn’t look far, and he had been on trips in a car with the Winchesters before so he knew what to expect. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Rexford was starting to get a little boring anyway. “Okay,” Cas conceded. “Let’s go to San Francisco.” He smiled at Gabriel over the counter and it took every ounce of his self-control to not kiss him right there. Gabriel folded up the map and put it back before grabbing the, still frozen, burritos back off the counter to warm them up. Cas couldn’t stop smiling as he started to get the registers ready for the day. This was good. He was glad to have someone to care about apart from Dean and Sam, and Gabriel cared about him more than the brothers could ever hope to understand.

   As he was putting the second till in the drawer, he heard a ringing coming from his pocket and pulled out the cell phone that Dean had given him in case of emergencies. The screen read “Dean” and he bit his lip, a little afraid to answer. He flipped the phone open and put it to his ear.

   “Hello?”

   “Cas. Where are you?”

   “Idaho?”

   “The fuck are you doing in--Never mind. Listen, we have a lead on Metatron.”

   “Why are you calling me?” Cas asked as Gabriel came around the counter with two hot burritos and a confused look. “I’m a horrible hunter, as previously proven, and I’m human. What could I possibly do?”

   Dean sighed over the phone and Cas could practically picture him rubbing the bridge of his nose. “It’s not just Metatron that we have a lead on. We’ve also heard a rumor about your grace.”

   “That’s impossible, Dean.” Cas caught Gabriel huff a little when he heard the name. “My grace was used up in the spell used to close Heaven.”

   “Well, apparently there was a little left over and Meta-dick wears it around his neck like a trophy,” Dean explained.

   “Are you sure it’s mine? It could be any angel’s,” Cas glanced at Gabriel. Maybe if it was the archangel’s grace, he could regain his strength and defeat Metatron. “Do you know what color it was?”

   “Isn’t all grace blue or white and eye burn-y out-y?”

   Cas sighed and walked over to start making coffee while Gabriel tended the register. “Seraphs like me usually have blue grace, but the shade is sometimes different. Cherubs tend to have white or faint yellow grace. Archangels, on the other hand, each have a different color.”

   “Woah, who said anything about archangels? I thought all those bitches were dead or locked up,” Dean asked.

   “Well, maybe not,” Cas whispered.

   “What are you saying? One of the four douchecateers is alive and you JUST NOW decided to tell me?”

   “I didn’t tell you because I knew you would overreact,” Cas hissed.

   “BECAUSE IT’S A BIG FUCKING DEAL, CAS,” Dean yelled. Cas cringed and could hear Sam in the background trying to calm his brother down. He heard a little scuffling and then a sigh.

   “Hey, Castiel.” Sam’s calm voice was a relief. “What’s going on? Dean said something about an archangel being alive?”

   “Yes, it’s um…” Cas looked over at Gabriel, who raised an eyebrow at him. “It’s Gabriel.”

   “Somehow, I’m not surprised,” Sam chuckled a little over the line. “Was he hurt in the fall, too?”

   “He was hurt, but not in the fall. Metatron kept him imprisoned and used the angel tablet to drain his grace and increase his power,” Cas explained.

   “So is he…?”

   “Yes,” Cas grabbed the coffee he had made and poured two cups of it. “He’s human. Like me." He grabbed several sugar packets, ripped them open, and poured them into one of the cups. "I'm taking care of him."

   "If he gives you any trouble, feel free to--"

   "I think we will be just fine," Cas looked over at Gabriel and smiled. "But about this grace, Gabriel's would shine gold and mine would shine blue. Gabriel's would be of the most use to him, so that is more likely."

   "Well, thanks for the info," Sam sighed. "If we hear anything else, we'll call. And, Cas?"

   "Yes, Sam?"

   "Take good care of him. He saved us once and maybe, if we get his grace back, he could save us again," Sam said. "And tell him I said hello."

   "I will," Cas said, hanging the phone up. He slipped it back in his pocket before grabbing the coffees on the counter and walking back over to where Gabriel was.

   "So?" Gabriel asked, pausing mid-burrito bite. "How are Donnie and Marie?"

   "Sam and Dean," Cas corrected. "They called to say that they might have a lead on one of our graces. Apparently, Metatron keeps some around his neck. Dean yelled at me about not calling sooner about the fact that you were alive, but then Sam talked to me and he said he'd let us know if he heard anything." He took a sip of his coffee and then set it down. "Sam says hello, by the way."

   "How sweet of Sasquatch," Gabriel commented. "Did you tell them about San Francisco? About us?"

   "I didn't think it was any of their business," Cas replied, grabbing his burrito and smirking a little. Gabriel grinned and went back to eating.

 

    _Gabriel..._

Gadreel squirmed a little in his corner of Sam's mind. What he remembered of the archangel, he didn't like. It had been Gabriel who had cast judgement upon him, allowing Michael to throw him in Heaven's prison. Gabriel, with his golden gavel and ruthless sense of justice. He had forced the angel to endure millenniums of torment and torture. The act was unforgivable. Gadreel rifled through Sam's mind, trying to find any memories of the archangel.

    _Trickster...?_

_Martyr...?_

   No. This wasn't Gabriel. It couldn't be. The archangel had always been selfish and cold hearted. Gadreel felt even more fearful than when Castiel was close. If Gabriel retrieved his grace, he would be unstoppable. He would take Heaven back and casting Gadreel out would be one of the first things on his agenda. He should tell Dean how dangerous he is.

   Gadreel took control of Sam, but found Dean missing. The angel frowned. Must be another one of those "beer runs". Why humans chose to subsist on grain alcohol and beef slathered in grease was beyond him. Until Dean returned, it was useless for him to be in control of Sam, so he retreated, continuing his healing.


	3. Chapter 3

  The rest of the week went by quickly for both Gabriel and Cas. By day, they worked together seamlessly. While Cas did chores around the store, Gabriel manned the register. Gabriel had a couple issues with customers (including one who didn't understand why they couldn't refund gas she had already pumped into her car) but Cas was always on hand to prevent situations that would have probably ended in homicide otherwise. By night, they discovered each other's bodies, learning what the other liked or didn't. Cas found he loved every touch that came from Gabriel, but the archangel still flinched when the scars on his back were touched. Gabriel would entertain them with stories of his life as Loki, recalling all the tricks he played and the loves he had. Whenever Cas seemed jealous, Gabriel would just kiss his fears away, reminding him that the whole time, all he wanted was to be with the seraph. Cas's world was filled with gold and he wouldn't have it any other way.

  When Friday came, they both were anxious in anticipation for their shift to be over. They had gotten into an argument earlier in the week over whether they were going to give notice that they were leaving, but Gabriel won. Why give notice when they weren't going to be coming back anyway?

  "Maybe you should have thought about that before you decided to wear a ghi, dumbass!" Gabriel shouted and Cas heard the store door close. "Seriously. Who wears ghis in public anyway? Will you put this beer away that I refused to sell to Chuck Norris?"

  Cas walked over from where he was straightening to grab the six-pack that was left on the counter. Gabriel leaned forward as he got closer and grinned.

   "Only one more hour left, Little Sparrow," he recalled, grabbing Cas's hand for a moment before the door to the store opened again. Cas smiled and blushed a little as he took the beer back. He was getting used to more and more public displays of affection by Gabriel and he found he really liked it. After not being able to be with Gabriel for so long, it was nice to be able to touch him whenever he wanted. Outside of work, he tended to never let go.

  Gabriel was still leaning on the counter when a woman rushed up and swiped her credit card with no warning. "Woah, lady, what are attempting to pay for?" He asked, a little startled.

  "Gas!" She swiped her card again.

  "What pump? How much?" Gabriel offered. "I need a little more information before you get all swipe happy."

  The woman sighed and rolled her eyes. "Pump 5? I'm, like, the only one out there."

  Gabriel looked out to the lot and saw 3 other cars, but shook his head a little and pulled up her gas purchase. "Alright. 10-57." The woman stood there, staring at the pin pad for about a minute before Gabriel spoke up again. "Now would be a good time to swipe, ma'am."

  She scoffed at Gabriel and swiped her card again, finally completing the purchase, then stormed off. Gabriel rolled his eyes and balled up her receipt, tossing it in the trash as the door dinged. Even though he knew that he and Cas would have to get jobs when they got out to California, he was glad to get out of here. Everyone seemed to have a something up their ass 24/7, and not in the fun way.

  Gabriel busied himself with organizing the lighter tray for the remainder of his shift while Cas swept. They looked up when the door dinged and Nora walked in to relieve them and give them their checks.

  "Hey boys!" She greeted, smiling at each of them. She came behind the counter and hung up her jacket as usual. Cas walked over to join them, still feeling a little guilty that they were leaving without warning. Nora had been so nice to him and then Gabriel.

  "Alright so, since you guys have been a godsend," Cas and Gabriel exchanged looks, "I gave you a little bonus in your checks this week since I had some extra payroll money." Nora handed their checks over and Cas opened his, his eyes widening when he saw it was a hundred dollars more than he usually received.

  "Nora, you didn't have to--"

  “You guys deserve it, trust me,” Nora smiled and opened up her register. “Now, get out of here and enjoy it.” Gabriel gave Nora a quick hug, thanking her, before he signed out and rounded the counter.

  “Thank you so much,” Cas said, smiling at Nora.

  “Please, Steve,” she sighed and leaned on the counter. “Just go have fun with Bill. Take him somewhere nice.” Nora winked and Cas got the feeling that she knew about the two of them. Maybe they weren’t being as discreet as they thought. He blushed and nodded, then followed Gabriel out the door. When Cas opened the driver’s door, Gabriel was already in the passenger seat.

  “This is perfect!” he grinned, then kissed the envelope with his check in it. “Sparrow, San Francisco is going to be amazing for us.”

  “I still feel bad leaving Nora,” Cas sighed, turning the car on. “Especially since she gave us the bonuses.”

  “I know, Cassie, but we have to get out of here,” Gabriel grabbed his hand. “No looking back, remember?”

  Cas looked out at the store and nodded. “No looking back.” He pulled the car out of park and drove off. They made one stop at a Walmart to cash their checks and get some supplies, but then started off to California.

 

  “You’re worried about Gabriel, even though he’s human?” Dean asked, taking a swig of beer.

  “I’m concerned about his grace returning,” Gadreel clarified.

  “The dude is a dick, but I mean, he saved our asses from Lucifer once, so I think of him as a good guy,” Dean said, leaning back and putting his feet on the table.

  “If his grace is returned to him, he will likely want to retake heaven,” Gadreel continued.

  “Again, Zeke, not seeing the downside,” Dean sighed and set his bottle down. “Listen, if I had to pick anyone besides Cas to run heaven, it would probably be him. He’s arguably one of the least douchiest winged douchebags, so I’m on board with Gabriel for Heaven 2013.”

  Gadreel narrowed his eyes. While he was masquerading as Ezekiel, there was no way that he could fully inform Dean as to why action needed to be taken.

  “Fine,” Gadreel stood up and grabbed the go-bag that Sam had on hand. “I shall go by myself.”

  “Not in that body, you’re not,” Dean stood up and stepped in front of Gadreel.

  “I’m sorry, Dean.” He reached up and pressed two fingers to Dean’s forehead, causing the hunter to collapse. By the time he awoke, Gadreel would be states away, tracking the two fallen angels. He went to the garage, chose a motorcycle, and took off toward Castiel’s last known location, Idaho.

 

   _“What is the point of keeping me around, Cherub?” Gabriel growled from inside his cell. “You have my grace, you cut my wings...What use could I possibly be to you?”_

_“Is it so hard to believe that I just want a little company?” Metatron pouted, pulling up a chair to the bars on Gabriel’s cell._

_“Maybe not for a sadist like you,” the archangel scoffed._

_“Oh, my dear Gabriel,” Metatron tutted. “Looks like someone has a hard time looking at their reflection.”_

_“At least everything that I did was rooted in a sense of justice,” Gabriel replied. “I’m doing what Dad made me to do, like a_ _good_ _son.”_

_“Ugh,” Metatron rolled his eyes. “You sound just like Michael. Here, I thought we would be on the same page! Both rebels. One with a cause, and one without.”_

_“I have a cause,” Gabriel spat. “And he’s human now, thanks to you.”_

_“Who? Castiel?” Metatron looked to Gabriel for confirmation, and the archangel narrowed his eyes. The angel stood up and knocked over the chair, causing Gabriel to jump a little._

_“What is it with everyone and that STUPID, overrated seraph?” he shouted, walking away from the bars a bit. “I’ll have you know that I thought it was going to be you and Sam Winchester. After reading those Carver Edlund books and knowing what Sam was thinking every time you were around, you really should have mounted that moose when you had the chance.”_

_Gabriel rolled his eyes and sat down on the floor, leaning against the far wall. “Why are you here, Metatron?”_

_The angel sighed and grabbed a key off his belt. “You’re right. I have no real reason to keep you here,” Metatron said, unlocking the cell door. “I’m letting you go.”_

_“Just like that?” Gabriel raised an eyebrow at the opened door, but didn’t move. “Yeah right. What’s in it for you?”_

_“A whole lot of none of your business,” Metatron sneered. “It’s a one-time only offer. Either go, or sit and rot for eternity.”_

_“I’ll go,” Gabriel replied, walking through the door. “Just tell me why you really want me to.”_

_Metatron’s eyes flared as he slammed the cell door behind the archangel. “Like I said, none. Of. Your. BUISNESS!” He waved his hand and opened a portal on the floor behind Gabriel. “Have a nice trip.” Metatron pushed Gabriel backwards into the portal, his arms flailing as his body propelled downward. The scribe chuckled as he watched._

_“See you next fall.”_

  Gabriel woke up suddenly, heart racing, thanks to the memory of his own fall. He looked over in the car and saw Cas stealing concerned glances at him from the driver’s seat.

  “Are you alright?” Cas asked. “You were mumbling a little in your sleep.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Gabriel cleared his throat and sat up in the passenger seat. “Just had a weird dream. Where are we?”

  “Still halfway through Nevada,” Castiel reported. “There’s a small town with a truck stop in just a few miles. It may be a good idea to stop there for the night.”

  Gabriel nodded and looked out the window at the moonlit miles of desert that surrounded them. The lights of the truck stop soon came into view and Cas pulled in, parking in a darkened part of the property, away from the fluorescent overhead lights. Once the car was off, Gabriel got out and stretched, touching his toes, then reaching to the sky with a groan.

      “Are you sure you want to stop?” Gabriel asked. “I could drive.” He looked over to see Cas getting out and relocating to the backseat of the car.

    “I didn’t say I wanted to stop to sleep,” Cas explained when he leaned over the seat and opened up the door on Gabriel’s side for him. The archangel grinned and climbed in, pushing Cas back and crawling on top of him.

    “Is that so?” Gabriel quickly slid a hand up Cas’s shirt, reveling in the soft skin that resided underneath. He started to kiss the angel’s neck, pulling soft gasps and moans out of Cas. There was so much time that they had to make up for and he intended to make sure that every minute was absolutely perfect. Gabriel couldn’t help but taste Cas’s skin, slightly salty from the desert heat seeping into the non-air conditioned car. He licked a stripe from the angel’s clavicle to just under his ear and let out a soft moan. Cas was panting heavily under him, tentatively moving his hips up into Gabriel’s, as if he wanted the friction but was afraid to ask. In fact, Cas wasn’t even really touching him except where Gabriel was.

    “Sparrow,” Gabriel started, nuzzling into Cas’s neck. “Why aren’t you touching me?”

    “I can’t, sir,” Cas breathed. “You have to tell me I can. You’re my superior officer.”

    Gabriel’s breath caught in his chest as he saw the glint in Cas’s eyes. He was pretending. If they were still angels, and back in heaven that would have been true. Seraphs and Cherubs were barely allowed to look at archangels without asking, and touching was expressly forbidden without permission. Gabriel bit his lip a little and moved back off of Cas. He scanned the angel’s body and let out a small groan.

    “Take off your shirt,” Gabriel commanded. “That’s an order.” Cas quickly started undoing his buttons, being very careful not to bump or even brush against Gabriel. He slipped it off and laid back down, displaying his bare chest for Gabriel’s approval. The archangel traced a couple fingers down Cas’s chest and sucked in a breath as he arched up against his touch.

    “You’re so beautiful,” Gabriel awed. “You can speak freely for now.”

    “Your hands feel good, sir,” Cas commented, hissing a little as Gabriel pinched his nipple.

    Gabriel bent down and bit Cas’s ear lightly. “Touch yourself.” He sat back up and removed his shirt as Cas quickly undid his jeans and pulled his cock out.

    Cas gasped and moaned softly as he stroked himself, constantly looking to Gabriel for approval. The archangel gazed at Cas hungrily, licking his lips as he noticed a drop of pre come spill out of Cas’s slit. Gabriel grabbed hold of Cas’s hips and pushed him back into a seated position against the car door.

    “Can’t help but taste you,” Gabriel breathed, bending down to lick the tip of Cas’s cock.

    “Oh, Gabriel,” Cas moaned, causing his partner to pull off and look up at him, questioningly. “SIR! I meant, sir!  Please keep going…”

    Gabriel bent back over and rubbed his nose up Cas’s length. “That’s your one warning, Castiel. Another slip up and there will be consequences. Understood?”

    Cas swallowed as he watched Gabriel explore between his legs. “Ye-Yes, sir.”

    “Good,” Gabriel hovered above Cas’s cock for a moment and looked up at him. “Only noises. No words.” He took Cas in his mouth and heard a gasp above his head followed by a soft moan. The sounds above him continued as Gabriel worshiped and lavished Cas with his tongue. The taste was near intoxicating and he couldn’t get enough. Gabriel pulled off for a moment and Cas whined desperately. “It’s okay, baby.” He considered pulling Cas’s jeans off all the way, but quickly decided that he was lacking both room and patience. Instead, Gabriel pushed Cas’s legs up and looked up at him. “Hold your knees for me.” Cas grabbed the back of his knees and practically folded himself in half, causing Gabriel to suck in a breath at the sight. Thank god for flexible vessels. He reached out with a finger and trailed it across Cas’s hole, producing another whimper from the angel. “Tell me what you want, Castiel.”

    “Take me, sir,” Cas breathed. “I need you to be inside me and show me I’m yours.”

    “You’re sure, Castiel?” Gabriel asked, squeezing the back of Cas’s thighs. As much as they fooled around, they hadn’t gone that far yet. They both had agreed to wait until they had a real bed, but with Cas looking so desperate and wanton, Gabriel could make an exception.

    “I can’t wait any longer, sir,” Cas explained.

    Gabriel smirked and unzipped his pants, pulling his cock out. “You’ll have to beg for it then.”

    Cas whined and threw his head back.  “Please, sir, I want to feel you so bad. I want you to claim me so that everyone knows I’m yours.” He gasped as Gabriel bent back down and swiped his tongue against Cas’s puckered muscle. “Oh, Ga—SIR! Sir, please, fuck me! I want to feel you for days.”

    Gabriel practically growled as Cas urged him on. He worked his tongue into Cas and savored the taste. It reminded him of how heaven used to be: perfect. Cas moaned and gasped above Gabriel as his hole was worked open, unable to beg anymore. Gabriel reached down under the seat and felt around for the side pocket of his duffle, still focusing on Cas. Once he found it, he unzipped it and pulled out a small bottle of lube he had gotten at the last station they stopped at. He pulled away from Cas for a moment and coated two of his fingers with the lube before pressing them to Cas’s already wet hole. The picture Cas made was filthy, half-dressed and bent practically in half with his cock leaking a small puddle onto his chest where his shirt was hiked up. He panted heavily and coaxed Gabriel on with moans and breathy pleas. If Gabriel wasn’t already in love, he was pretty sure he would fall all over again.

    “Fuck, Cas,” Gabriel breathed, stroking himself a little before teasing Cas with a third finger. He pushed his fingers deep into Cas and the angel let out a cry, his back arching slightly off the seat. Gabriel looked up, concerned, but Cas nodded vigorously to keep going. As his fingers pounded into Cas, he started to feel his abdomen get hot, and he knew he didn’t have much time to get into his lover. Gabriel pulled his fingers out and opened the bottle of lube again, coating his cock this time. He moved himself into position and grabbed Cas’s legs from him, pushing the fabric from his pants to the side so he could see Cas’s face.

    “You ready, sparrow?” Gabriel asked, dropping the officer act. Cas nodded and the archangel slowly pushed in, closing his eyes a moment as his cock was wrapped in tight heat, inch by inch. Cas winced at the pain a little at first, but once Gabriel had passed the first ring of muscle, he relaxed and let himself be filled up.

    “Cas, I—“

    “Kiss me, Gabriel,” Cas begged.

    Gabriel worked quickly to get Cas’s shoes and jeans off of him, biting his lip at every move he made inside of Cas. Once they were off, he quickly threw them in the front seat and pressed himself against Cas, capturing his lips and moaning against them. Gabriel moved out of Cas and slammed back into him, setting a rough pace as they kissed between moans. Cas never imagined anything could feel as miraculous as how Gabriel felt inside of him. Everything felt so perfect and right as Gabriel moved in and out of him. Gabriel moved to Cas’s neck and started to suck a mark into his collarbone, a possessive streak overtaking him. He wanted the world to know that Cas was his and only his. No one would take his mate away from him. Cas panted and moaned as Gabriel thrust into him, gripping the archangel’s shoulders for support. Gabriel whispered to him in Enochian, reciting the ritual they would have used to bind and mate. It was no practical use to them since neither of them had their grace anymore but, it still made something stir inside of Cas. The words themselves had a finality to them and Cas imagined the bond forming between them.

   “Gabriel, I…” Cas’s words desolved into moans and were drowned out by the cries of his name as Gabriel finished the ritual. They came together, the last tendrils of their grace letting them have the moment, truely consummating the bond. Once he was spent, Gabriel gently laid on top of Cas, not bothering to remove himself from inside of the angel. Cas smiled and reached a hand up to stroke Gabriel’s hair.

   “That was per--wait, no,” Gabriel held up his index finger. “The word I'm looking for is better than that. Let me think on it.”

   Cas giggled a bit and kissed Gabriel’s forehead. “I love you.”

   Gabriel turned his head and moved up Cas’s body, slipping out of him. “I love you, too.” He kissed Cas softly then sighed and sat up, frowning at the sticky mess. “Better clean this up.”

  “I've got it,” Cas said, pulling a rag out of the pocket behind the passenger seat. He wiped himself off, then dragged it down Gabriel’s chest, cleaning him up. Cas yawned and Gabriel smiled, grabbing the rag and tossing it on the floor.

   “Get some sleep, sparrow,” Gabriel suggested, putting his shirt back on. “I'll drive for a bit.” Cas nodded and Gabriel handed him the blanket before relocating to the driver's seat. He looked back a moment, waiting until Cas settled in before turning on the car and driving off.

 

   Dean groaned, finally coming to after Ezekiel had knocked him out.

   “SAM!” Dean yelled, rubbing his head as he sat up. “Fuck.” He had recieved no response so, he reached up and grabbed his phone off the table, checking the time. It had been at least five hours he was out. His fingers flew across the screen and he held the phone to his ear.

   “He-llo,” a voice said after a couple rings.

   “Ugh. Gabriel?” Dean guessed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

   “Dean-o! Nice to see you're excited I'm alive,” Gabriel replied, sarcastically. “What can the God squad do for the Winchesters today?”

   “Put Cas on,” Dean growled.

   “He's sleeping right now,” Gabriel explained. “May I take a message?”

   “Well, wake him up!” Dean commanded.

   Gabriel looked back at Cas, who was sleeping soundly. “Listen here, Winchester.” He hissed into the reciever. “I may be human now and you may think that puts us on the same playing field, but if you think for a second that I'm going to take orders from the likes of you, you are sorely mistaken. As for Cas, if you so much as think about trying anything, I will hurt you in ways that would make the deepest depths of Hell cringe. Got it?”

   Dean swallowed before continuing. “Message recieved.”

   “Now, what's going on?” Gabriel urged.

   “An angel that isn't a big fan of yours got wind that you were alive and he's on the way to Idaho,” Dean recalled.

   Gabriel chuckled a little. “Good thing we're headed to California then. Left for San Francisco about seven o’clock.”

   “Well, keep going,” Dean sighed in relief. “I'm about five hours behind him, but I should be able to catch up. Be careful.”

   “Always am.”

   “And, Gabriel,” Dean ran his hand through his hair. “Take care of him. You can do it better than me.”

   “I will,” Gabriel assured him. “Thanks for the heads up, and good luck.”

    Dean hung up the phone and sighed, getting up. His head was still pounding as he got to the Impala, so he grabbed a couple asprin from the glove compartment. Once swallowed, he turned on the car and headed out after Ezekiel.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> APOLOGIES! This took so long because I had two cons and then the flu and a little bit of writer's block. I know its a little short for an ending, but I still hope you enjoy it!

Gadreel raised an eyebrow at the sound that rang through the Idaho gas station when he walked through the doors. This was the last place that Castiel and Gabriel had said they were. Someone must know where they went. There was a woman behind the counter with her back turned, stocking cigarettes. Gadreel walked up to the counter and waited for the woman to turn around. After a few moments, she did and let out a small gasp upon noticing him.

“Oh! You scared me!” The woman giggled a little and walked over to the counter. “How can I help you?”

“I am looking for two men,” Gadreel blurted. “Castiel and Gabriel.”

“Well, those sure are some interesting names,” Nora, as her nametag read, mused. “I would definitely remember if I had met men with names like that.”

Gadreel frowned. “They may be going by aliases. One has dark hair and blue eyes. The other has blond hair and hazel eyes.”

“Sounds a little like Steve and Bill…” Nora’s eyes widened. “Are you a bounty hunter? Are they felons? I didn’t do a background check because they seemed so nice!”

“Where are they?” Gadreel pressed, annoyed with the woman already.

“They quit,” Nora shrugged. “Well, they stopped coming in at least. No call or anything. Really messed me up since inventory is this week.”

Gadreel clenched his fists and tried to restrain himself from choking the woman. He didn’t want to leave a trail. “Do you have any idea where they may have went?”

Nora looked up and scratched her head. “Ya know, I thought I caught them talking about California at one point. San Diego? No.” She snapped her fingers. “San Francisco. I thought they were planning a vacation and suggested going down to the wharf.”

Gadreel turned to leave before Nora finished her sentence. He had the information he needed. The door dinged again as he walked out, making him cringe a little. He got on the motorcycle and quickly headed off toward San Francisco. Heaven would be saved from Gabriel, and he would get his revenge. He was certain.

  


“Sparrow.”

Cas opened his eyes a fraction to see Gabriel smiling down at him. “Hey,” he croaked out, giving Gabriel a smile as well.

“Good morning,” Gabriel leaned over the center console to give Cas a kiss. “We’re just inside California.”

“Did you drive all night?” Cas asked, frowning. “You should have stopped for rest.”

“Nah, I’m too excited,” Gabriel grinned. “Red Bull helped, too.”

Cas groaned a little and sat up. “I’ll take over after going to the bathroom.” He looked around at where they were. “There is a bathroom here, right?”

“I just parked a little far away,” Gabriel explained. “Didn’t know if there was going to be a repeat of what happened last time we stopped in a secluded truck stop.” Gabriel winked.

“We’ll see,” Cas smiled a little and opened the door. He climbed out and walked away a little, leaving the door open.

“Couldn’t close the door? Really?” Gabriel got out of the car and looked over, seeing Cas frozen in place. Metatron was standing in front of him, grinning maliciously.

“Why if it isn’t my two favorite graceless freaks,” he commented, rocking back on his heels.

Gabriel quickly moved around the car and stepped in front of Cas, practically snarling. “What do you want, Metatron?”

“To kill you, obviously,” Metatron scoffed. “Was that not clear?”

“You and what army?” Gabriel engaged, distracting Metatron while Cas cut himself and drew out some warding symbols on the ground.

   “Are you serious?” Metatron rolled his eyes. “You guys are human now. It’s kinda no contest.”

“So, let me get this straight,” Gabriel put his hands on his hips. “You let me go so I could lead you to Castiel, a human, so you could kill him because you’re…jealous?”

Metatron frowned. “I am NOT jealous.” He crossed his arms over his chest and pouted a little. “He just really pisses me off.”

“Because he’s better than you…even as a human.”

“HE IS NOT!” Metatron bellowed. “I’m God now! No one is better than me! Why do I have to keep reminding people of that?”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? You are nothing compared to Dad.”

“Yes I am! I’m—Wait,” Metatron looked behind Gabriel and saw Cas drawing symbols on the ground. “Now, isn’t that cute?” He waved his arm and Gabriel was pushed up against the car, unable to move.

“Cas!” Gabriel called out before his vocal cords were frozen up.

“ _ Caaaas _ ,” Metatron mocked, walking over to Cas who turned to look at Metatron from the ground. “Whatcha got there, Cassie?” He kicked Cas out of the way and looked at the blood stains on the ground. “Warding, huh? Wasn’t gonna work on me anyway, but nice try.” Roughly, he picked Cas up by his collar and held him. “You were supposed to be my antagonist, Castiel, but you couldn’t even do THAT right.” Metatron punched Cas and Gabriel squirmed against the car. “Instead you decide to shack up with an ex-archangel with a junk food fetish and  _ settle down _ .” He threw Cas on the ground forcefully, causing the former angel to cough up a little blood. “Who the fuck ever heard of a domestic antagonist?” Metatron knelt down and got close to Cas’s face. A small vial on a chain slipped out of the top of Metatron’s shirt and it shone a bright golden. “You aren’t worth enough to keep alive anymore.” As Metatron pulled out his angel blade, Cas reached out to grab the vial. He wrapped his hand around it and pulled as Metatron shoved the blade through Cas’s neck. The vial broke off the chain and shattered on the asphalt as Cas’s hand fell to the ground, his blood spilling out around it.

“NO!”

The golden grace flowed out and once it realized its owner was near, zipped into Gabriel’s open mouth. Gabriel collapsed down from the car and kneeled on the ground, holding his head down as his body got used to grace inhabiting it again. Shimmering gold lingered around the area where the scars from his wings would be, his grace trying to manifest them.

After a moment, Gabriel stood up, his eyes shining bright with rage. “You really shouldn’t have done that.”

Metatron fell to the ground and crawled backwards, trying to get away from the archangel as his powers weakened. “Listen, Gabriel, buddy, pal,  _ brother _ …”

“Don’t you dare call me your brother,” Gabriel raised Metatron up off his feet and threw him against the nearest light pole. “You are an abomination.”

“What, so--so you’re gonna throw me in prison?” Metatron asked, collapsed on the ground. “You can’t kill me. You don’t kill angels.”

Gabriel walked over to Metatron and dragged him up the pole so they were eye to eye, not laying a finger on him. “Do you know what I did to get out of heaven, Metatron?” He pulled out his blade and sliced Metatron’s cheek. “Michael sent angels after me. Dozens. Kept sending them to try and find me. How many of your  _ brothers _ do you think I had to kill to keep my cover, hmm?” Gabriel slowly sliced down Metatron’s chest, causing him to cry out in pain. “Did you know that I was going to kill my REAL brother during the apocalypse? I was ready to kill Lucifer for the Winchesters and Castiel.” He pressed the point of his blade to the underside of Metatron’s chin. “ _ Lucifer _ . If I was willing to kill the damn devil for even threatening my mate, what do you think I’m gonna do to you? You’re no God. You’re nothing but a cherub that doesn’t know his place.” Gabriel spat in Metatron’s face and he whimpered in response. “Any last words?”

“Please, sir,” Metatron sobbed. “Please forgive me. You don’t have to kill me! I can be useful! I—“

“Your usefulness ran out a millenniums ago,” Gabriel hissed. “Dad should have ordered you killed once the tablets were finished. Instead of flourishing after you met him, your grace became spoiled and rotted. Goodbye, Metatron.” Gabriel shoved his blade through the angel’s chin, causing his eyes and mouth to burst into light. The archangel held his blade there until the grace was gone, then pulled it out, letting the body drop to the ground. He looked down at Metatron for a moment, taking a breath before dropping his blade and running to Cas.

Gabriel dropped to Cas’s side and flipped him onto his back. “It’s okay, little sparrow. It’ll be okay.” He placed his hands over Cas’s chest and watched golden grace flow out of them and close up the wounds. The rumbling of a motorcycle grew closer behind them, but Gabriel didn’t turn to look. After a few moments, Cas started to cough and opened his eyes a little.

“Gabriel, your grace…” Cas said weakly.

“Shh…” Gabriel grinned and pulled Cas to him. “It’s okay. Rest a little longer.” He laid Cas back down on the ground and put two fingers to his forehead, letting him sleep. Gabriel sighed and stood up, turning to face the angel that had happened upon them. “So, Gadreel, I—SAM?”

Gadreel nodded at the archangel. “I’m currently using Sam Winchester as a vessel.”

“Do you realize how dangerous it is to use a Winchester as a vessel?” Gabriel scolded, manifesting his blade again and tightening his grip on it. “How did you even get Sam to agree? EXPLAIN YOURSELF.”

“I have nothing to say to you that my blade can’t,” Gadreel unsheathed his angel blade and came at Gabriel. The archangel deflected the hit and moved to the side, grimacing.

“I don’t want to fight you, Gadreel,” Gabriel admitted. “Not in that vessel. I won’t sacrifice Sam because of your disobedience.”

“Then it will be that much easier to kill you,” Gadreel lunged at Gabriel again, who caught his blade in the air with his own. “I won’t let you and your twisted sense of justice rule heaven.”

Gabriel pushed Gadreel, then backed away. “Who said anything about ruling heaven?”

“You have your grace back and Metatron is dead,” Gadreel explained. “You are the only archangel left. Heaven is yours, but I refuse to let you take it.” The angel made another run at Gabriel and the archangel sighed.

“Okay, I’m done humoring you,” Gabriel waved his hand and threw Gadreel against a sedan, causing the entire side to dent in and the alarm to go off. With another wave, the alarm turned off, and Gabriel walked over to the angel. Gadreel struggled against the invisible bonds, but refused to take his eyes off of Gabriel. “Like I said, I’m not gonna kill you because of your choice of meatsuit. You are going to answer my questions though.” He knelt down and brought the point of his blade up to Gadreel’s chin. “I’m sure you’re aware I can make you talk without hurting Sam.” Gadreel swallowed and nodded slightly, causing Gabriel to smile and lower his blade. “Now then. What are you doing in there?”

“Even though I was in prison, I fell with the rest of the angels,” Gadreel explained. “Dean Winchester prayed for someone to come and help his brother who was dying. A few other angels showed up first but intended to hurt the brothers. I went with the intention to help.”

Gabriel narrowed his eyes, examining the angel. “Sam doesn’t know you’re in there, does he?”

“No,” Gadreel hesitated a bit, then continued. “Dean is unaware of who I really am as well. He believes I am Ezekiel.”

“Where is Ezekiel? Did you kill him?”

“He died in the fall. Landed in Antarctica, I believe.”

“I see. Why do you want to kill me?” Gabriel insisted.

“I’ve been angry with you since you locked me up,” Gadreel gritted his teeth. “You cast such fierce judgement on me that I thought you tyrannical and without mercy. I refuse to go back to prison or let heaven be subjected to your terror.”

Gabriel chuckled a little. “I almost forgot about that.” He ran a hand through his hair and whistled. “You were in prison when I ran away.”

Gadreel raised an eyebrow. “Ran away?”

“After I sentenced you, a lot of shit went down, kiddo,” Gabriel explained. “God cast Lucifer out of heaven, Michael locked him in a cage in hell, God left…And I left. Ran away from that shitstorm as fast as my wings could take me. I chilled with the pagans in Norway for a couple thousand years, then struck out on my own until the apocalypse started and the Winchesters found me. I died for them, like EVERYONE does, then God brought me back after the stand-off was averted. I went back into hiding, not wanting to get involved with anything to do with heaven or the Winchesters ever again.” Gabriel sighed. “Unfortunately, Metatron found me after the fall and locked my ass up. Took my grace to power himself up, then cut off my wings. About a month ago, he kicked my ass to earth and now, here we are.” Gabriel stood up and grunted a little. “Basically, I’m not the same archangel that sent you to the slammer, as I’m sure you’re not the same idiot who let Lucifer into Eden.”

Gadreel narrowed his eyes, but nodded. “I don’t appreciate being called that, but I am forced to agree. I learned a great deal from my incarceration.”

“Then, bygones and all that jazz,” Gabriel held out a hand to help Gadreel up. “I don’t want to rule heaven. Honestly, I’d rather have nothing to do with the place.”

“You have no interest in going back at all?” Gadreel asked, taking Gabriel’s hand and standing up.

“Too many bad memories, Gads,” Gabriel had his head bowed but looked up when he heard the Impala approaching. “If you really are in Sam to heal him, I’ll keep your secret. The second he’s healed, you get your ass out of him, capeche’?”

“Yes,” Gadreel nodded at Gabriel as Dean marched toward them.

“Someone wanna tell me what the fuck is going on here?” Dean insisted, looking over at Cas. “Is he okay?” He looked up at Gadreel. “Did you do this? I swear to god, you get the fuck out of my brother right—“

Gabriel held Dean back effortlessly from going after Gadreel. “Hold your horses there, cowboy. It wasn’t him.” Dean calmed down a bit and took a deep breath. “Cliff notes, Ezekiel didn’t do anything. Metatron hurt Cas. I got my grace back, then I killed Metatron.”

Dean looked surprised. “Wait, you…Metatron is dead?” He looked over at the body crumpled under the lamp post. “Well, shit.”

“Yep,” Gabriel stepped away from Dean and conjured a glass bottle. “Now, I need you to do me a favor, Dean-o.”

“Um,” Dean eyed the bottle. “You better not ask me to pee in that.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “No, you cantaloupe with legs. It’s for my grace.” He handed the bottle to Gadreel with his angel blade. “Zeke here is gonna take it from me and put it in this bottle and you’re gonna keep it in that nice, secure bunker of yours. Put it in storage where no one will find it. Hell, bury it and ward it and all that fancy shit.”

“Wait, Gabriel,” Dean protested. “You need to go back to heaven. Someone needs to clean up the mess up there.”

“Yeah, no,” Gabriel laughed a little. “I’ll show you how to make a portal. Any angel you find that wants to go back can.” He looked over at Cas and sighed. “All Cas’s grace was used up in the spell and I can’t leave him alone, Dean. I’ve lived long enough and I’m not willing to live forever if he can’t either. By the time someone finds my grace, I’ll be long gone. There will be a new Gabriel restored to factory settings and he’ll be able to fix upstairs.” He smiled at Dean. “Heaven can wait a few decades.”

Dean sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “You’re sure about this?”

“Never been surer,” Gabriel turned to Gadreel and looked up, closing his eyes and baring his neck. “Alright, let’s do it.”

“I—“

“Do it,” Gabriel commanded.

Gadreel nodded curtly and held the bottle up to Gabriel’s neck before drawing a deep line across it, letting the golden grace spill out into the bottle. When he was finished, Gabriel collapsed to the ground, holding a hand to his throat. Gadreel quickly conjured a cork to seal up the bottle, then knelt down to heal Gabriel.

“Are you alright?” Gadreel asked after Gabriel’s wound was healed.

Gabriel coughed a little as he sat up but smiled. “Yeah. Never better.”

   Dean held out a hand to help Gabriel up. “So, what now?”

“Take a break?” Gabriel shrugged. “Ezekiel needs to heal up Sam and you guys deserve a little vacay. As for Cas and I, we’ll settle down in San Francisco. I know we won’t be much help fighting wise, but you can always call us if you have questions about lore.” He smiled and playfully punched Dean’s arm. “Maybe come visit us every once in a while, too. I know Cas misses you.”

Dean sighed and turned to Gadreel. “I think it’s about time we headed home. Zeke has some serious memories to implant in Sam.”

Gadreel nodded. “I will make sure he remembers seeing both of you and that Metatron is dead. I think he would have liked it if he would have made those memories himself, but its better this way.”

“We’ll check up on you boys,” Gabriel assured. “You can count on that. Oh!” Gabriel pulled a pen out of his pocket and grabbed Dean’s hand. He flipped it over and started drawing on the hunter’s palm. “This…is the symbol you wanna make it the ground for the portal. Make it big. I’ll text you the Enochian.” When he finished, he let Dean’s hand go. “And remember. Keep that grace locked up until this body gets salted and burned.”

“He isn’t gonna happy with you,” Dean chuckled a little.

Gabriel smiled, looking over at Cas. “Yeah, I know.” He sighed and patted Dean’s shoulder. “Go on. I’ll tell him you said hello. And yes, we will call if we need anything.” Dean and Gadreel got into the Impala and Gabriel waved as they drove away. Once they were gone, he turned back toward Cas, who was starting to stir. Gabriel rushed over and knelt down, supporting Cas as he sat up. “Easy there.”

Cas groaned and put a palm to his head. “Did I hear the Impala?”

“Yeah, Dean-o and Sam were here,” Gabriel explained. “They didn’t show up until after I took care of Metatron though. They weren’t hurt.”

“You killed Metatron?” Cas looked up at Gabriel, wide-eyed. “Of course, you have your grace ba—“ He narrowed his eyes at the archangel. “Where is it?”

“I gave it up,” Gabriel confessed. “Dean has it. He’s gonna keep it safe.”

Cas tried to push Gabriel away. “Why would you--? You need to go back to heaven and—“ Gabriel interrupted him with a kiss and Cas instinctively melted into it.

“I don’t want to go back to heaven,” Gabriel pulled away a bit. “I don’t want anything but what’s right here on earth. If you have to be human, then I want to be human with you.”

“That’s extremely selfish of you,” Cas sighed.

“Have you known me to be anything else?” Gabriel grinned. “Let the next Gabriel deal with heaven. This one has a human to spend the rest of his life with.”

Cas pulled Gabriel into a kiss, pouring every ounce of relief into it that he could. They were safe. Nothing would bother them again. They could live their own lives as humans, together. After a few moments, he pulled away, breathless. “Since I just died, you’re driving.”

Gabriel chuckled. “I can handle that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! You can find me on Tumblr @archangelsanonymous or on Twitter @pattypixie. Please hit me up! :D


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